Proof Brewing Co.’s grand opening in Railroad Square will be held Friday, May 16 at 3 p.m. The event will have live music, a ribbon cutting, glass giveaways and beer sampling. / Matthew Paskert/FSView

Written by

Setareh Baig

Arts & Culture Editor @heysetareh_

Tallahass-ians, prepare yourselves: Proof Brewing Co. is bringing the first full-scale production brewery to Tallahassee. Proof’s Grand Opening event for their new location will take place Friday, May 16 at their brand new outdoor facility in Railroad Square Art Park.

The event will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music and specialty beer treatments available, with concoctions like coconut porters and strawberry stouts. This particular event will have surprise beer treatments only revealed the day of the event. Proof’s glass giveaway will feature a new, limited-edition beer-can-shaped glass, exclusive to patrons at the grand opening event.

Since its inception two years ago, Proof has become a staple in Tallahassee’s culture, becoming an environment owner Byron Burroughs calls “the ideal, modern American pub.”

When Burroughs and his wife Angela originally opened a liquor loft in 2007, it immediately became renowned for its beer selection. Since then, the couple realized there was a definitive need for a specialty craft beer bar in Tallahassee. From that point, they decided they wanted to turn Florida into a great beer state—thus, Proof was born. They opened Proof two years ago, using their small beer system in the downstairs area as the pilot for the full-scale operation in Railroad Square.

“I don’t think there was any doubt in our mind we wouldn’t be this successful, or else we wouldn’t do it,” Brewery Representative Jonathon Pacha said. “That confidence got us where we are now.” Pacha does sales and marketing for Proof, while also bartending three to four nights a week.

“We’re doing stuff that hasn’t been done here before,” Pacha said. “It’s cool to be a part of something that has grown from a small bottle shop into such a large-scale brewery.”

Available at the event will be various beers on tap and Proof’s beer selection, including their famous Mango IPA, a Belgian-style beer with fresh mangos added to it. Proof’s renowned Guru IPA will also be available, a brew that won the award for Best IPA in Florida. Guru is a hoppy beer balanced with malt, which is not too bitter with a citrus flavor. Proof’s own Creature of the Night chocolate stout also won best stout in Florida at the competition.

While their Tennessee Street location will remain, the new location is a 10,000 square ft. full-scale production brewery akin to those in California and Colorado, with a tap room, two huge windows to see the production facility and a 6,000 square ft. outdoor deck area, where live performances will regularly take place. Proof’s own beer production will primarily take place at the new location, where they will distribute their products around the area at restaurants and places such as Whole Foods. The company also plans to use their facility to make products to ship to other large cities such as Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa.

As for their future plans, Burroughs plans to make sure they are running the most topnotch brewery possible.

“We want to be one of the best breweries in the U.S.,” Burroughs said. “We’re doing everything we can to make the best possible product that we can get out to the market. We want to keep Proof true to what it is, and be the best possible distribution brewery that we can be.”